Washing-machine.



No. 663,425. Patented Dec. ll, I900- L. A. DOBLE.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 29, 1900.!

(No Model.)

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ATENT LUCIUS ALSTON DOBLE, OF HURON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 6 .42 dated D m er 11, 1 00.

Application filed March 29, 1900. Serial No. 10,693. \No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUCIUS ALSTON DOBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huron, in the county of Beadle and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in washing-machines.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of washing-machines and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one capable of rapidly washing clot-hes without rubbing, wearing, or otherwise injuring the fabrics and adapted to be readily arranged to enable it to be operated while sitting or standing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which will facilitate the removal of the clothes from it after the operation of washing has been wholly or partially completed.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a washing-machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the cover, illustratin g the construction of the stationary presserframe and its arrangement relative to the cover. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the vertically-movable horizontal clothes-supporting presser.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designatesa rectangular washing-machine body provided with legs 2 and 3, arranged in pairs, the legs 2 being extended above the washing-machine body to provide supports for a wrin ger-su pportin g board 4. The washing-machine body is provided at a point below the wringer-supporting board with a sheetmetal guard 5, adapted to direct the water expelled from clothes by a wringer back into the washing-machine body to prevent such water from dripping upon the floor or other supporting-surface.

Within the washing-machine body, which may be constructed of any suitable material, is arranged a horizontally-disposed verticallymovable presser 6, adapted to receive the clothes and other fabrics to be washed and cooperating with a stationary presser-frame 7, mounted on and spaced from the cover 8 of the washing-machine body. The cover 8, which may be of any desired construction, is preferably hinged to the sides of the body by pivots or pintles 9 and is adapted to be swung upward and backward, and it is secured in its closed position by catches 10, located adjacent to its free edge. The catches 10, which are arranged at opposite sides of the cover, engage projections or lugs 11, extending from the inner faces of the upper portions of the legs 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Each catch consists of an approximately triangular frame having its bottom or base portion arranged in a suitable eye 12, whereby it is hinged to the cover and is adapted to swing inward and outward. The point orapex of the hinged catch 10 is adapted to be engaged beneath the lug or projection 11, whereby the cover will be firmly held in its closed position.

The vertically-movable horizontal clothessupporting presser 6 consists of a rectangular marginal frame 13 and a series of crossed slats or bars 14, arranged at intervals and disposed at right angles to each other to form a slatted body portion and to provide spaces or openings to permit the water expelled from the clothes to escape. The stationary presser or presser-frame is constructed in substantially the same manner as the vertically-movable presser, and consists of a marginal supporting-frame 14 and slats 15, arranged at right angles and spaced apart to provide openings. The side pieces 16 of the marginal supporting-frame 14 are extended and secured to the lower face of the cover, and they serve to space the slatted body portion of the stationary presser from the said cover, whereby when the lower presser is raised by the means hereinafter described and the clothes squeezed and compressed by such operation the water expelled from the clothes will be permitted to escape freely. By squeezing the clothes between the two slatted members 6 and 7 the water is expelled from them, and

ICO

the weight of the clothes upon the lower member 6 will cause the same to drop readily. After the water has been expelled from the clothes by one squeezing operation the clothes are returned to the water and suds, which will cause them to expand, thereby drawing the water into them, and by this operation the clothes may be rapidly and thoroughly washed without wearing, tearing, or otherwise injuring the fabrics. The ends of the slats or bars are reduced to form tnons'and are arranged in suitable mortises or openings of the marginal frames.

The vertically-movable presser 6 is raised by means of a lever-frame l7, composed of two sides or levers 1S and a transverse connecting portion 19, located at the outer ends of the sides or levers and provided with a handle or grip 20, consisting of two rounded pieces secured to the opposite faces of the transverse portion, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.' The inner ends of the sides or levers 18 are pivoted by rivets 21 or other suitable fastening devices to cars 23 and are adjustably connected by braces 24 to supporting-bars 25. The supporting-bars 25 are pivoted to the outer ends of links 26, which are fulcrumed on the washing-machine body by means of the pivots 21. The ears 23, which may be constructed in any suitable manner, preferably consist of metal strips or pieces secured to the outer faces of the sides of the washingmachine body and extending upward therefrom. The pivots 27, which connect the links and the supporting-bars, preferably consist of outwardly-bent terminals of the braces 24, which preferably are constructed of rod metal.

The other ends 28 of the braces are bent in Ward' and are adapted to engage perforations 29 of the operating or lever frame 17. By this construction the lin ks 26 and the lever-frame form a pairof bell-crank levers, and when the leverframe is oscillated the supporting-bars 25 and the presser b, which is pivoted to the lower ends of such bars, are raised and lowered. The perforations 29 are arranged at intervals, and they permit the parts to be adjusted so that the operating-frame may be extended ontwardin aslightly-inclined or substantially horizontal position, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanyingdrawings, or the operating-frame may be extended upward, as shown in Fig. 2. When the operating-frame is arranged as shown in Fig. l, the washing-machine is operated by swinging such frame 17 upward and downward, which may be done while the operator is either sitting or standing, and when the operatingframe is arranged as shown in Fig. 2 it is adapted to be swung backward and forward. By enabling the position of the operating-frame to be changed in this manner the operation of washing is rendered less fatiguing. By this sist the operator in lowering such presser and i that the position of the operating-frame may be changed, whereby the operation of washing is rendered less fatiguing. Furthermore, it will be seen that after the operation of washing has been completed and the lid or cover swung backward the clothes may be raised to the top of the body by swinging the lever or operating frame 17 downward, and when in such position the lid or cover is adapted to rest upon the handle portion of the operating-frame, whereby the clothes will be supported in convenient position for removing them orpassiug them through a wringer.

The lower vertically-movable presser may also be swung upward from the washing-machine body when the parts arein the positions just described.

What is claimed is- 1. In a washing-machine, the combination of a washing-machine body, the upper and lower pressers, the lower presser being vertically movable and the upper presser being stationary, an operating-lever fulcrumed on the body at its lower end, a support connected with the presser, a link pivotally connected with the support and with the operating-lever at the fulcrum thereof, and a brace adjustably connected with the link and with the operating-lever, whereby the position of the latter may be changed from approximately horizontal to approximately vertical, substantially as described.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination of awashing-machine body,an upperpresser, a lower vertically-movable presser provided with supporting-bars,an operating-frame fulcrumed on the washing-machine body and provided with perforations, links arranged at an angle to the operating-frame and pivotally connected with the same and with the supporting-bars, and braces connectingthe links and the operating-frame and adjustably engaging the perforations,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

LUGIUS ALSTON DOBLE.

Witnesses:

P. F. BUSSEY, J. N. SHELTON. 

